The present invention is related generally to food cutting devices and more specifically, to a device for cutting pizza pies and the like
The prior art discloses several devices which may be used for cutting pizza and other foods. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,551. The device described in the '551 patent is directed to the traditional roller and handle assembly commonly used in pizza cutting. Another pizza cutter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,479. This device includes a handle and a convexly curved blade, wherein the blade is wide enough to also serve as a spatula for lifting the pizza out of a pan. U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,707 discloses the more traditional kitchen knife which is not limited to cutting pizza, but may also be used to cut, slice or chop other foods. This device has a blade with a smoothly curved cutting edge and a handle fitted on the back of the blade in an area adjacent to the rear end.
Although the devices described in the prior art have generally worked when used to slice the standard thin crust pizza, as the variety of available pizza has increased to include "pan", "deep dish", and "stuffed" pizza, certain drawbacks associated with the available cutting devices have become evident. For example, because the devices of the prior art generally have thin blades and small handle areas, they are often awkward and clumsy to use, particularly with pizza having a thicker crust or a thicker layer of toppings (e.g., "pan", "stuffed"). Specifically, the thin blade as well as the size and position of the handle in the prior art devices limit the amount of force that can be applied during cutting, often requiring the user to exert added energy to make a single cut.
Another disadvantage with the prior art is that all of the cutting devices described above require regular sharpening and upkeep in order to maintain the effectiveness of the cutting blade. Consequently, a sharp blade can make the available devices more dangerous, especially if misused or mishandled in any way.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a safe, useful cutting device for cutting pizza (and other foods) in a quick and smooth motion with minimal upkeep and maintenance of the blade portion of the cutting device.